No medal, but best U.S. 1,500 finish

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, August 24, 2008

Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Chronicle

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Shannon Rowbury of the United States (3173) competes in the women's 1500 meter run in athletics (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008, in Beijing. ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ) less

Shannon Rowbury of the United States (3173) competes in the women's 1500 meter run in athletics (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008, in Beijing. ( Smiley N. Pool / ... more

Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Chronicle

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Shannon Rowbury of the United States (3173) reacts after finishing the women's 1500 meter run in athletics (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008, in Beijing. ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ) less

Shannon Rowbury of the United States (3173) reacts after finishing the women's 1500 meter run in athletics (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008, in Beijing. ( Smiley N. ... more

Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Chronicle

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Kenya's Nancy Jebel Langat, right, crosses the finish line to win the gold in the women's 1500-meter final during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008. less

Kenya's Nancy Jebel Langat, right, crosses the finish line to win the gold in the women's 1500-meter final during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, ... more

Photo: Anja Niedringhaus, AP

No medal, but best U.S. 1,500 finish

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San Francisco's Shannon Rowbury recorded the highest finish by an American woman in an Olympic 1,500-meter final when she came across in seventh Saturday night at the Bird's Nest.

Rowbury was in fifth position with 600 meters to go and was fourth with 500 remaining when she began to lose contact with the leaders. She finished in 4 minutes, 3.58 seconds.

With a spirited move with 200 meters left, Kenya's Nancy Langat moved to the front and held the lead to the finish for the gold medal in 4:00.23. Behind her, Ukrainians raced for the silver and bronze medals, with Iryna Lishchynska getting second place in 4:01.63 and Nataliya Tobias third in 4:01.78.

"I put myself in it," Rowbury said. "I just didn't have the extra gear the last 200 meters."

Dating to 1972 when the 1,500 for women was included in the Olympic program, four American women have finished eighth in finals: Jan Merrill in 1976, Ruth Wysocki in 1984, Mary Slaney in 1988 and Marla Runyan in 2000.

Through 2 1/2 laps Rowbury was a factor in fifth position, within striking range of the leaders. But when she needed to step on it, there was no acceleration.

"You try to go and it's there or it's not," Rowbury said of the move she tried to make in the final 200 meters. "It's hard to explain. I would have liked to be closer to a medal shot, but it was a great experience. It's the best women in the world, so I can't complain."

Rowbury came into the final with the second-best seasonal time in the field at 4:00.33, which she ran in Paris on July 18. She finished second to 2007 world champion Maryam Jamal of Bahrain in that race. Jamal, a factor for most of Saturday night's race, faded to fifth in 4:02.71.

"I think I learned I should be in front, I should keep myself in position," Rowbury said. "That's the best way to race. ... I have a lot of races to go. I can't be disappointed."

And yet, she was, for not having what she said was the "pop to go with those girls when they made the move. I couldn't go with it."

Rowbury said she will have at least two and as many as four races in Europe before returning home after a long season.

"I'm still trying to absorb it all," she said. "It's been such a completely crazy year. Everything is going to get easier from here on. The Olympic final is the most anxiety you can have. If I can do this, I can do anything."

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